It was an opportunity to foster creative growth, it was a chance to get lost in making art, and it was also a good excuse to socialize.

Several amateur artists sat down at tables draped with pallets, paint, brushes and paper at London Line's Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) building on Aug. 2 to release their inner Rembrandt, as the Brain Injury Association of Sarnia-Lambton held an expressive art workshop.

With a blank canvass, guidance from volunteers and several drawings to help inspire, participants created their own art within a social setting.

The purpose of the workshop was to not only get people making art, said the Brain Injury Association's Lori Girolametto, but also to have clients with acquired brain injuries get a chance to interact with each other and other members of the public within a relaxed setting.

“What we're doing is having an expressive arts program, having these members paint a picture, allowing them to express themselves through art, but we're also allowing them have a nice afternoon of socializing,” she said. “It's really informal and it's a lot of fun, too.”

The workshop is just one of the many programs that the association provides to its clients throughout the year, programs designed to stimulate, entertain and let clients know they are not alone, Girolametto said.

“We as an organization recognize that there are many, many individuals in the community who have brain injuries, so our goal is to invite anyone in the community that has a brain injury to be a part of our organization,” she said. “Aside from art, we also host a number of sessions where people can make jewellery, play bingo, scrapbook, make cards, organize potlucks – anything to help them feel connected and part of a community that supports one another.”

With an increasing awareness among members of the public about the sheer scope of acquired brain injury – it is leading cause of death and disability among people under age 45, and over 12,000 traumatic brain injuries are projected in Ontario during this year alone – and generous support from local donors, the Brain Injury Association of Sarnia-Lambton has been able to provide a plethora of services to its clients and their families, allowing them to enjoy a more active and more rewarding lifestyle, Girolametto said.

“We were very fortunate to receive a kind grant from 100 Women Who Care Sarnia, and this is exactly where that money is going towards,” she said. “We're supporting members with brain injury, recognizing that there's a need there and putting the funding towards services the members want and enjoy.”

For more information about the Brain Injury Association of Sarnia-Lambton, call 519-337-5657 or visit www.sarniabiasl.ca .